Guide for rolling mills



June 1, 1965 A. J. SCHMITT GUIDE FOR ROLLING MILLS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 8, 1962 It. 80 I E 3: 43' l June 1965 A. J. SCHMITT 3,186,207

- GUIDE FOR ROLLING MILLS I Filed Feb. 8, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3/ 4/, r [50 I I ZZZ? 7 irm #25)? 5 I I 40 I l 34 33 14012 i g I I 26 O 1 1"]. 9 rji jal I 21 INVENTOR 31 ANTHONY u. .rc/m/rr United States Patent 3,186,207 GE FOR RQLLING MILLS Anthony J. Schrnitt, 158 Ida Ave, Donors, Pa. Filed Feb. 3, 1962, Ser. No. 172,0il 8 Claims. (Cl. 72250) This invention relates to a guide for mills for the rolling of rod, wire and bar metal products. More particularly, this invention relates to longitudinally split rod, wire and bar rolling mill guides which inhibit deposit and build-up therein and thereon and feed all such elongated work in a true manner into the next roll pass.

In the employment of guides in rolling mills for elongated metal products, it has been routine practice to provide a guide comprising a pair of longitudinally and vertically split halves on the entry side of a roll pass, held adjustably in a box, which might be mounted either on the mill stand, or be movable in'connection with the roll assembly. Such guides normally are provided with a shaped passage therethrough which in cross section closely approximates the area and contour of the work being fed moving toward and through the guide for such entry. Such shaped passage has been formed in an engraved fashion with half in each of the guide halves forming opposed right-hand and left-hand bearing surfaces which engage the work for the desired guidance. In use, such guides tend to develop a number of difficulties which limit the length of time in which they can be used and impair, or destroy, their usefulness thereafter. Thus, the relatively long length and close opposed fit of the bearing engagement passage tends toward excessive temperatures which may change the gauge of the guide passage and/ or cause excesisve wear. Further, material including scale, scabs and/ or slivers on the surface of the entering work tends to slough off in the guide and/or stick to "such bearing surface and, sometimes, may fuse thereto. Such lastmentioned occurrences may scratch the work, or cause cobbles, kinks, or loops and, in any event, necessitate removing the guide from service sooner than anticipated or desired for redressing as by chipping or grinding, which not only is difficult and expensive for precisely sized surfaces, particularly in curved or filleted portions thereof, but may change the size to such an extent as to render the guide useless for the same roll pass at least if all of the material accumulated thereon is removed. On the other hand, even if it is not absolutely necessary to remove the guides, they may further scratch or score the work passing through if left in place, or tend to shift the transverse axes of the work going through from a true position desired for entry into the roll pass, and, if the guide halves are allowed to be less close fitting to alleviate the sloughing and deposits occurring therein, the work is more likely to turn away from the true oriented position required for the next rolling pass.

Theforegoing deficiencies are overcome by a practice of the instant invention. Thereunder, a guide preferably is constructed in which the respective halves are provided with bearing surfaces which are relatively short and are relieved in a transverse opposed direction without impairing the desired shape and size of the work passage therethrough leading to the roll pass. Such relief may take the form of longitudinally and transversely alternated spaces for self-clearance of slough-off, relatively whether that work is oval, diamond, square, or otherwise, and irrespective of whether there may be some flash or finned overfill therealong in the plane of the parting line between the rolls of a previous stand. The resistance to deposit and build-up on guides of this invention means materially less down time and/ or chipping, or grinding expense. I

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, which are illustrative only, in which FIGURE 1 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, illustrating one embodiment of this invention in a rod mill entry guide mounted for use in a rolling mill shown partly in section;

FIGURE 2 is a view of the entry end of the mounted guide;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the guide shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, removed from its mounting members;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIGURE 3 with the nearer half rotated away from the other cooperating half;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along line VIVI of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of the lower portion of the two halves of the guide when out by a horizontal section plane through the axis of the work pass line, along line VIIVII of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of a modified embodiment of a guide of this invention for work of a different cross sectional shape; and

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken along line IXIX of FIGURE 8.

Referring to FIGURES 1 to 7, inclusive, of the drawings, a guide embodiment 10 of this invention is shown therein adapted to edge an oval 11 so that it will enter a roll pass 12. formed between upper roll groove 13 and lower roll groove 14 in the nip between rolls 15 of a rolling mill such as a rod, wire or .bar rolling mill when the rolls are turning as indicated .by the arrows and work in the form of oval 11 is guided there between by guide 10. Normally the rolls 15 .are spaced slightly apart at the nip. Guide .16 is held rigidly in position by a hollow guide box 16 having a longitudinal opening therethrough for guide It), the guide resting on floor 17 of the box and being held in oriented position by positioning set screws 18 extending through the top and the sides of the box against the outside of guide 1%, suitable lock nut-s being provided if desired to assist in locking the set screws in the final adjusted position selected. The desired height of guide 10 in box to may be obtained by using a wedge or shim author 17 if desired. Floor 17 of box is is provided with a counter-sunk central recess 19 for a centrally positioned bolt 29 extending through an opening through the floor of the box and a registering opening through .a guide support 21 to which the box is held by a nut 22. engaging bolt 20 when the assembly is put together and fixed in operative position with the axis of the work passage 23 of guide It! coincident with the pass line axis 24 passing through roll pass 12 and the nip of the rolls. Forward motion in the direction of arrow 25 along the pass line by guide It} is prevented by engagement of lateral ears 26 against the front edge 27 of box 16. The illustrated mounting of guide '10 is but one of a variety available to those utilizing .a guide constnucted in accordance with this invention, just as the illustrated rolling mill is but one of 1 a variety with which a guide of thi invention may be utilized.

As shown, guide 10 comprises a right-hand half 28 and a left-hand half 29 which are longitudinally and vertically parted by a median parting plane 30 faced by the insides of the respective halves of the guide It Normally, the halves 28 and 29 are pressed together in use with the inside vertical facing members thereof engaging some portion of the opposite half of guide It in plane 35). Each half of the guide It has an entry portion 31, an intermediate running guide portion 32 and a front tip portion 33. Each half of guide It) may be made of cast iron or steel or other material, or forged, suitable for the intended use. Each entry portion 31 is rearwardly flared to define a bell mouth 34 in guide It converging forwardly toward the pass or work line axis 24. The intermediate portions 32 have rectilinear exterior surfaces. The top and bottom surfaces of the intermediate portions 32 of the halves merge with and extend into respectively downwardly and upwardly converging sloping tip surfaces 35 and 36 respectively to fit into the nip of the rolls of the rolling mill as illustrated in FIGURE 1. The vertical side portions of the intermediate sections 32 of the halves merge with and extend into the horizontally forwardly converging tip surfaces 37 on the vertical sides of said tips.

The halves 28 and 29 are not mirror images but, instead, are provided with longitudinally spaced lands 3% in the case of the right-hand half 28 and longitudinally spaced cutout gaps 39 between such lands for pressure relief, inhibition of frictional temperature increase and other purposes. Such gaps comprise one form of relief spaces and extend entirely through the top and bottom surfaces of half 28 forwardly of the entry portion 31. The plane face of each land 38 is in a plane which when the halves are together in normal use is plane 36. The face of each land 38 is also provided with a longitudinally extending channel 40 comprising an engraved or intaglio bearing surface area having a shape in cros sectional profile capable of closely fitting the contour of oval work 11 on the right-hand side of work passage 23 extending through guide to keep the work true relative to roll pass 12 and not allow it to twist or turn in the course of its movement toward and entry into that roll pass. In the illustrated embodiment, the major axis of cross section area of oval 11, the longer such axis, thus will remain held exactly vertical coincident with median parting plane 39 as the oval enters the roll pass :12 for discharge therefrom a a square, diamond, or round, as the case may be, depending upon the profile of pass 12.

Tip 33 in half 28 is also provided with a continuation of channel 40 in a bearing surface 41 the rear end of which, as shown, overlaps the front of a very small land 38a in half 29. Preferably, the inner sides of the front of the tip portions 33 form a forwardly somewhat divergent vertical dihedral angle 42 providing a V-shaped space with a relatively small included angle pointing rearwardly, which enables the tip portions 33 to be moved very close to the surface of the rolls in the nip or bite thereof. The rearward ends of each of the bearing surfaces 4%) and 41 are provided with further relief spaces 43 which are accurately conical in nature and slope outwardly in a rearward direction away from the respective bearing surfaces and pass line axis 24, such last-named relief spaces 4-3 opening into gaps 39 or, in the case of the rearrnost bearing surface 40, into the apex of the conical frustum comprising that side of hell mouth 34. The upper and lower edge of each bearing surface 40 and 41 intersects a longitudinally extending notch 44 in each half adjoining the median parting plane which in end view (see FIGURES 2, 5 and 6) have longitudinally alternated counterparts in the other half 29 of guide 10 to provide a clearance groove in the assembled guide for any overfill flash or fin which may exist along the major axis out wardly of the peripheral surface of the oval workpiece 11 passing through guide passage 23 of guide 10.

The left-hand half 29 of guide 10 is constructed similarly to half 28 except that lands and gaps are longitudinally displaced in half 29 from the lands and gaps in half 28. Portions in half 29 having the same construction and functions on the left-hand side of pass line axis 4 are provided with the same reference numerals as those given hereinabove to half 28 portions, with the addition of the suflix letter a thereto. Thus, as shown more fully in FIGURES 3 and 7, when the halves are together forming guide it), the relief spaces in half 29, whether in the form of gaps 39a or rearwardly and outwardly sloping portions 43a, are transversely opposite to hearing surface portions 40 in half 28, and conversely. However, the tip bearing surfaces areas 41 and 41a are transversely opposite to one another, although, if desired, surface 410 preferably is made slightly larger than the other relative to the exact size and contour of oval 11, so that it being slightly larger will act as a modified relief space to case the bearing guide pressure of surface 41 across from it because of the slightly less close fit of 41a without permitting the cross sectional axes of the oval to turn about the axis of pass line 24; and yet, the fit of the slightly larger tip bearing surface portion will still be so close that any detrimental kink, for example, in work 11 will jam in guide it) at the tip and prevent such detrimental irregularity from moving into the roll pass 12 where it might be likely to damage one of the rolls. On the other hand, the longitudinally spaced relatively short bearing surfaces 46 and 40a in the halves on opposite sides of plane 30 are alternated with the relatively short bearing surfaces on the other side in a longitudinally direction to provide true guidance of elongated non-strip work into the roll pass with materially less heating up of the guide and inhibition of build-up on and deposits of foreign matter on the guide bearing surfaces or elsewhere in the guide. At the same time, the respective ends in a longitudinal direction of the lands on opposite sides of plane 3-1 overlap the laterally spaced gaps so as to bridge such laterally opposite gaps and firmly seat against the face of lands in the other half of the guide It) for precise, true, trouble-free guiding of work such as oval 11. Further, the relief spaces allow any scabs, slivers, scale flakes, etc., to slip off and out through the gaps 39 and 39a, the openings of which may be continued, if desired, through the mounting box 16 and support bar 21. Still further, if a guide coolant, lubricant and/ or scale cracking or removal liquid is deemed appropriate, it may be supplied to the work passing through guide 10 through such gaps 39 and 39a. And if there is no overfill or flash, or, if any overfill or flash that may exist on work 11 is removed before entry into guide 10, then and in that event the notches 44 and 44a may be eliminated in the construction of such guide.

In the modification illustrated in FIGURES 8 and 9, the features thereof corresponding generally in structure and functioning to those illustrated in the above first described embodiment are provided with the same reference numerals with the addition of a prime accent thereto. In such modification, for illustrative purposes, the work passage 23 is provided with a square cross sectional shape corresponding in area and contour to the work to be guided thereby and pass therethrough, although such work passage could also be made, if needed or desired, to correspond to the shape of a so-called gothic-shaped workpiece, diamond, or other rectangular, or non-rectangular, metal shape, which is not strip, to be guided into a roll pass. Further, the modification provides for engagement of the halves 2S and 29 along the edges 50 of the entry portions 31' in each half, whereas forwardly of those entry portions 31' the respective halves are sepa rated across medial parting plane 30' by a vertical space the lateral thickness of which is a distance, where the ends of the respective lands are opposite to one another, which approximates a distance slightly greater than any flash or overfill fins that might be on the work shape passing through guide 10', although normally in the rolling of rods, wire and bars, overfill and flash are generally avoided whenever possible. Moreover, such vertical space parallel to the plane 30' between the intermediate and tip portions of the halves of guide provides for additionalclearance in which slough material may fall down and away from the guiding passage bearing portions and the guiding will remain true and engage the work because the separation between the halves of guide 10' forwardly in half, such guides may be horizontally split, or may be constructed substantially in one piece. Further, al-

though the concept of the invention has been described in conjunction with entry guides, the principles thereof are applicable to delivery guides and, as aforesaid, to the guiding of rod, wire, bar and other non-strip elongated metal and products needing truly oriented guidance about the axis of a pass line. Still further, various changes may be made in details of the illustrated embodiments and other embodiments provided without departing from the spirit of this invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An entry guide for a pass line rod rolling mill or the like, comprising, in combination, opposed right hand and left hand halves having a vertical median panting plane passing through the axis of the pass line, each half having entry, intermediate and tip portions, the entry portions being rearwardly flared to form a bell mouth for elongated metal work to be guided into a roll pass in said rod rolling mill or the like, said tip being tapered in the direction of movement of said work along said pass line to 6 said bearing surfaces and channels defining a guiding work passage through said guide.

.2. An entry guide for a pass line rod rolling mill or the like, comprising, in combination, opposed right hand and left hand halves having a vertical median parting plane passing through the axis of the pass line, each half having entry, intermediate and tip portions, the entry portions being rearwardly flared to form a bell mouth for elongated metal work to be guided into a roll pass in said rod rolling mill or the like, said tip being tapered in the direction of movement of said work along said pass line to fit into the nip of said roll pass, a plurality of longitudinally spaced lands on the inner side of the intermediate portion of each half forwardly of said bell mouth and facing said parting plane, said lands being longitudinally separated by a plurality of vertically extending gaps opening out through the top and bottom of said guide, the gaps in one half facing said parting plane and 7 being longitudinally spaced and opposite to one of said lands in the other half of said guide facing said parting plane, the longitudinal dimension of said plurality of said gaps being somewhat less than the longitudinal length of the lands opposite thereto with the front and back edges of said lands extending beyond the front and back edges respectively of said gaps respectively, said plurality of said lands each having a longitudinally extending relatively short bearing surface with contour corresponding to the shape of the adjoining periphery of work adapted to pass in engagement therewith, the rear portion of each bearing surface and the land thereof being conically flared rearwardly away from said parting plane and the axis of said pass line, the length of said conically flared portion being sufficient to overlap the edge of the gap opposite thereto, each bearing surface in said intermediate portions thereby being opposite a relief space respectively, a pair of substantially directly opposed tip bearing surfaoeson said tip portions facing said parting plane to closely fit opposite sides of said work, and notch clearfit into the nip of said roll pass, a plurality of longitudinal- 1y spaced lands on the inner side ofthe intermediate portion of each half forwardly of said bell mouth and facing said parting plane, said lands being longitudinally separated by a plurality of vertically extending gaps opening out through the top and bottom of said guide, the gaps in one half facing said parting plane and being longitudinally spaced and opposite to one of said lands in the other half of said guide facing said parting plane, the longitudinal dimension of said plurality of said gaps being somewhat less than the longitudinal length of the lands opposite thereto with the front and back edges of said lands extending beyond the front and back edges respectively of said gaps respectively, said plurality of said lands each having a longitudinally extending relatively short bearing surface with contour corresponding to the shape of the adjoining periphery of work adapted to pass in engagement therewith, the rear portion of each bearing surface and the land thereof being conically flared rearwardly away from said parting plane and the axis of said pass line, the length of said conically flared portion being suflicient to overlap the edge of the gap opposite thereto, each bearing surface in said intermediate portions thereby being opposite a relief space provided by said gaps respectively, a pair of substantially directly opposed tip bearing surfaces on said tip portions facing said parting plane to relatively closely fit opposite sides of said work, the forward ends of said tip portions on the inner sides thereof generally forming a dihedral angle comprising a V-shaped space there-between pointing rearwardly, one of said tip bearing surfaces being a slightly larger fit than the other, a vertical gap extending through the bottom and top of said tip portion at the rear of at least one of said tip bearing surfaces, and notch recesses along the top and bottom of said bearing surfaces to define upper and lower overfill channels coincident with said parting plane,

ance grooves along the top and bottom of said bearing surfaces to define upper and lower overfill channels coincident with said parting plane, said bearing surfaces and channels defining a guiding work passage through said guide.

3. An entry guide for a pass line rod rolling mill or the like, comprising, in combination, opposed right hand 7 and left hand halves having a vertical median parting plane passing through the axis of the pass line, each half having entry and forward portions, the entry portions being adapted to receive elongated metal work to be guided into a roll pass in said rod rolling mill or the like, said forward portion having a tip tapered in the direction of movement of said work along said pass line to fit into the nip of said roll pass, a plurality of longitudinally spaced lands on the inner side of the forward portion of each half facing said parting plane, said lands being longitudinally separated by a plurality of vertically extending relief space gaps opening out through the top and bottom of said guide, the gaps in one half facing said parting plane and being longitudinally spaced and generally opposite to a land in the other half of said guide facing said parting plane, the longitudinal dimension of said plurality of said gaps being somewhat less than the longitudinal length of the lands opposite thereto with the front and back edges of said lands extending beyond the front and back edges respectively of said gaps respectively, said plurality of said lands each having a longitudinally extending relatively short bearing surface with contour corresponding to the shape of the adjoining periphery of work adapted to pass in engagement therewith, the rear portion of each bearing surface being spatially relieved rearwardly away from said parting plane and the axis of said pass line, a plurality of said bearing surfaces being opposite a relief space respectively, and at least a pair ofalirectly opposed tip bearing surfaces on said tip of each half facing said parting plane to closely fit at least one side of saidwork at that location, said bearing surfaces defining a guiding Work passage through said guide.

4. An entry guide for a pass line rod rolling mill or the like, comprising, in combination, opposed right hand and left hand halves having a vertical median parting plane passing through the axis of the pass line, each half having entry and remaining portions, the entry portions being adapted to receive elongated metal work to be guided into a roll pass in said rod rolling mill or the like, said remaining portion having a tip with top and bottom sloped in the direction of movement of said work along said pass line to fit into the nip of said roll pass, a plurality of longitudinally spaced lands on the inner side of said remaining portion of each half facing said parting plane, said lands being longitudinally separated by a plurality of vertically extending relief spaces, the relief spaces in one half facing said parting plane and being longitudinally spaced and generally opposite to a land in the other half of said guide facing said parting plane, said plurality of said lands each having a longitudinally extending relatively short bearing surface with contour corresponding to the shape of the adjoining periphery of work adapted to pass in engagement therewith, and at least one half having a tip bearing surface facing said parting plane to closely fit at least one side of said work at that location, said bearing surfaces collectively defining a guiding work passage through said guide.

5. A guide for rolling mills or the like having a pass line for rod, Wire or bar work, comprising, in combination, a guide member having a guide passage for said work, said passage having a plurality of partial bearing surface areas therein on opposite sides of said press line, each bearing surface area extending for a relatively short length along said passage and peripherally extending but a minor fractional portion of the entire periphery of said passage and work adapted to be engaged thereby, each partial bearing surface area being opposite to a relief space on the opposite side of said pass line, substantially directly opposed tip partial bearing surface areas at the front end of said guide member and passage, one of said tip partial bearing surface areas being slightly larger than the opposite tip partial bearing surface area which latter is adapted to more closely engage said work, said tip partial bearing surface areas having a relief space longitudinally adjoining them, at least some of said first-named relief spaces being openings extending vertically and entirely through said member, all of said bearing surface areas defining a guide passage along the axis of said pass line.

6. A guide for rolling mills or the like having a pass line for rod, wire or bar work, comprising, in combination, a guide member having a guide passage for said work, said passage having a plurality of partial bearing surface areas therein on opposite sides of said pass line, each bearing surface area extending for a relatively short length along said passage and peripherally extending but a fractional portion of the entire periphery of said passage,

each partial bearing surface area being opposite to a relief space on the other side of said pass line and alternated longitudinally with another partial bearing surface area on the opposite side of said pass line, at least some of said relief spaces being openings extending vertically at least through the bottom of said member and substantially directly opposed tip partial bearing surface areas at the front end of said guide member and passage.

7. A guide for rolling mills or the like having a pass line for rod, wire or bar work, comprising, in combination, a guide member having a guide passage for said work, said passage having bearing surface areas therein on opposite sides of said pass line shaped to conform to the shape of the respective sides of said work, each bearing surface area extending for a relatively short length along said passage, each bearing surfaceiarea on each side being alternated longitudinally with a relief space, and the bearing surface areas on one side being opposite to a relief space on the other side of said pass line.

8. A guide as set forth in claim 7, comprising, right and left halves adapted to be positioned on opposite sides of said pass line, the tip of each being sloped from the horizontal toward said pass line, a longitudinally extending channel in said tips on opposite sides of and facing said pass line, at least one of said longitudinally extending channels being adapted to engage said work closely.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,987,946 6/61 Raudebaugh -51 WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON, Primary Examiner. LEON PEAR, Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION atent No 3 ,186, 207 June 1, 1965 Anthony J. Schmitt It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patant requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line 10, for "surfaces" read surface Line 16, after "41a" insert a comma; line 18, after "and" Lnsert a comma; line 27, for "longitudinally" read long- Ltudinal column 7, line 32, for "press" read pass :olumn 8, line 33, after "each" insert half Signed and sealed this 28th day of December 1965.,

EAL

test:

NEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER testing Officer Commissioner of Patents 

7. A GUIDE FOR ROLLING MILLS OR THE LIKE HAVING A PASS LINE FOR ROD, WIRE OR BAR WORK, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A GUIDE MEMBER HAVING A GUIDE PASSAGE FOR SAID WORK, SAID PASSAGE HAVING BEARING SURFACE AREAS THEREIN ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID PASS LINE SHAPED TO CONFORM TO THE SHAPE OF THE RESPECTIVE SIDES OF SAID WORK, EACH BEARING SURFACE AREA EXTENDING FOR A RELATIVELY SHORT LENGTH ALONG SAID PASSAGE, EACH BEARING SURFACE AREA ON EACH SIDE BEING ALTERNATED LONGITUDINALLY WITH A RELIEF SPACE, AND THE BEARING SURFACE AREAS ON ONE SIDE BEING OPPOSITE TO A RELIEF SPACE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID PASS LINE. 